INSTITUTE, W.Va. -- Sunday was Opening Day for the Malone University baseball program.

The Pioneers traveled to the Mountain State of West Virginia for a non-conference doubleheader with the West Virginia State University Yellow Jackets. 

The Pioneers (1-1, 0-0 G-MAC) took game one of the afternoon by a final score of 3-2. The Yellow Jackets (1-1, 0-0 MEC) responded with 6-4 win in game two to split the series. 

Game 1 Highlights
The Yellow Jacket offense struck first with a RBI double in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. 

It did not take long for the Pioneers to answer.

Cameron Martin reached on a WVSU fielding error to open the top of the second. He advanced to second base on a Evan Balzano groundout, and then came around to score when JC Philippi singled to left field in the very next at bat.

MU kept the rally going by stringing two more singles together off the bats of Clayton Criss and Boston Black. Philippi scored on Black's base hit to break the 1-1 tie. 

Malone loaded the bases when Tyson Gingerich reached on another Yellow Jacket error. JT Tonelli drew a bases loaded walk to pick up the first RBI of his collegiate career and give the Pioneers a 3-1 lead. 

West Virginia State responded with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the second to make it 3-2, but starting pitcher Michael Cook settled in after that. He scattered three more hits over the remainder of his outing, and turned the ball over to Chase Jessee for the bottom of the fifth inning. 

Jessee tossed three innings of scoreless baseball, and struck out four batters to close the door on his first save of the season.  

Game 2 Highlights
Malone opened up the scoring in the second game.

Gingerich drew a leadoff walk, and then stole both second and third base. He came in to score the game's first run on a sacrifice fly by Jake Aleman to make it 1-0 in favor of the Pioneers. 

WVSU answered right back with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning, but MU's offense kept the pressure up in the top of the second. 

Andrew Hanna knocked a two-out single into centerfield. Gingerich followed with a two-run blast down the right field line to put Malone up 3-1. 

The Yellow Jackets cut the Pioneer advantage down to 3-2 with a RBI groundout in the second, and then moved ahead 4-3 with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. 

Malone fought back to tie the game up at 4-4 on a RBI squeeze play off of the bat of Criss in the top of the sixth that scored Jaxon Snyder. 

Unfortunately WVSU scored the final two runs of the game, both coming in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Pioneers went down in order in the top of the seventh, which allowed the Yellow Jackets to salvage a split of the doubleheader.

PIONEER POINTS

• Tyson Gingerich combined to go 2-5 at the plate on the afternoon. He led the team in RBIs with two on his home run. He also scored two runs and stole a pair of bases. 
• Andrew Hanna, Evan Balzano, Boston Black and Clayton Criss also each had a pair of hits in the doubleheader for Malone.
• Chase Jessee allowed just one hit in his three innings of work on the mound. He led the Pioneer staff with four strikeouts. 
• Danny Miller pitched a scoreless inning out of the bullpen in the second game. 
• Michael Cook and Cooper Davies each recorded three strikeouts.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Pioneers will travel to Prasco Park later this week for a four-game series with the West Liberty University Hilltoppers. The series will consist of a doubleheader on Wednesday and a doubleheader on Thursday. 

First pitch both days is set for 12:00 p.m.